US2007193602A1PendingUtilityA1
Systems and Methods for Photoresist Strip and Residue Treatment in Integrated Circuit Manufacturing
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Jul 12, 2004Filed: Mar 27, 2007Published: Aug 23, 2007
Est. expiryJul 12, 2024(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
H10P 70/234H10P 50/287H01J 37/321G03F 7/427
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Claims
Abstract
Plasma systems and methods for supplying activation energy to remove cross-linked photoresist crust using ion bombardment of the substrate from a plasma, at reduced temperature, achieved in part by operating the processing chamber at low pressures. Reduced temperatures prevent “popping” of the photoresist which can cause particulate contamination. The gas flow may comprise a principal gas, an inert diluent gas, and an additive gas. Principal gases for HDIS may comprise oxygen, hydrogen, and water vapor at pressures less than about 200 mTorr and a bias may be applied to the substrate support. When low-k dielectric material is present on vertical surfaces, reduced ion bombardment on vertical surfaces may be used, and a protective layer may be deposited on those surfaces.
Claims
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33 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the principal gas is water vapor, and the gas flow further comprises a halogen.
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40 . The method of claim 34 , further comprising maintaining the temperature of the substrate at less than or equal to about 150° C. during the removal of the bulk photoresist.
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86 . A method of removing photoresist from a semiconductor substrate, wherein the semiconductor substrate includes a low-k dielectric material, the method comprising:
providing a gas flow to a processing chamber including a hydrogen containing gas, where the gas flow provides a reducing atmosphere in the processing chamber; coupling radio frequency power to the gas within the processing chamber to sustain a plasma in the processing chamber, wherein the plasma includes reactive neutral species and ions; providing a bias to a support for the semiconductor substrate; and exposing the photoresist to the reactive neutral species and the ions to selectively remove the photoresist while leaving the low-k dielectric material substantially intact.
87 . The method of claim 86 , comprising maintaining the temperature of the semiconductor substrate at less than about 150 degrees Celsius.
88 . The method of claim 86 , wherein the gas flow includes hydrogen gas and a diluent gas.
89 . The method of claim 86 , wherein the gas flow includes less than 50 SCCM of oxygen containing gas.
90 . The method of claim 86 , wherein the gas flow is free from halogen containing gas.
91 . The method of claim 86 , wherein the gas flow is free from oxygen containing gas.
92 . The method of claim 87 , comprising maintaining the temperature of the semiconductor substrate at less than about 100 degrees Celsius.
93 . The method of claim 86 , wherein the bias is in the range of 25 to 300 watts.
94 . The method of claim 87 , wherein the bias is in the range of 0.1 to 2 watts/cm 2 and wherein the gas flow is free from halogen containing gas and oxygen containing gas.
95 . The method of claim 87 , wherein the radio frequency power is at a frequency of about 13.56 MHz and a power level in the range of 200 to 2,000 watts.
96 . The method of claim 86 , comprising maintaining a pressure in the processing chamber of less than about 200 mTorr.
97 . The method of claim 94 , comprising maintaining a pressure in the processing chamber of less than about 50 mTorr.
98 . The method of claim 86 , comprising maintaining a pressure in the processing chamber of less than about 10 mTorr.
99 . The method of claim 86 , wherein the radio frequency power is inductively coupled into the processing chamber
100 . The method of claim 86 , wherein the low-k dielectric material is selected from the group consisting of MSSQ, SiOC and SiOCH.
101 . The method of claim 86 , wherein the low-k dielectric material includes an organic low-K dielectric material.
102 . The method of claim 94 , comprising maintaining the temperature of the semiconductor substrate at less than about 100 degrees Celsius and maintaining a pressure in the processing chamber of less than about 200 mTorr, wherein the gas flow includes hydrogen gas and a diluent gas and wherein the hydrogen gas comprises less than about 10% of the gas flow.
103 . A method of removing photoresist from a semiconductor substrate, wherein the semiconductor substrate includes a low-k dielectric material, the method comprising:
providing a gas flow to a processing chamber including a hydrogen containing gas, where the gas flow provides a reducing atmosphere in the processing chamber; coupling radio frequency power to the gas within the processing chamber to sustain a plasma in the processing chamber, wherein the plasma includes reactive neutral species and ions; providing an ion current to the semiconductor substrate of at least about 0.3 mAmperes/cm 2 ; maintaining the temperature of the semiconductor substrate at less than about 150 degrees Celsius; and exposing the photoresist to the reactive neutral species and the ions to selectively remove the photoresist while leaving the low-k dielectric material substantially intact.
104 . The method of claim 103 , wherein the gas flow includes hydrogen gas and a diluent gas.
105 . The method of claim 103 , wherein the gas flow includes less than 50 SCCM of oxygen containing gas.
106 . The method of claim 103 , wherein the gas flow is free from halogen containing gas.
107 . The method of claim 106 , wherein the gas flow is free from oxygen containing gas.
108 . The method of claim 103 , comprising maintaining the temperature of the semiconductor substrate at less than about 100 degrees Celsius.
109 . The method of claim 103 , comprising maintaining a pressure in the processing chamber of less than about 200 mTorr.
110 . The method of claim 107 , comprising maintaining a pressure in the processing chamber of less than about 50 mTorr and maintaining the temperature of the semiconductor substrate at less than about 100 degrees Celsius, wherein the gas flow includes hydrogen gas and a diluent gas and wherein the hydrogen gas comprises less than about 10% of the gas flow.
111 . The method of claim 103 , comprising maintaining a pressure in the processing chamber of less than about 10 mTorr.
112 . The method of claim 103 , wherein the radio frequency power is inductively coupled into the processing chamber
113 . The method of claim 103 , wherein the low-k dielectric material is selected from the group consisting of MSSQ, SiOC and SiOCH.
114 . The method of claim 103 , wherein the low-k dielectric material includes an organic low-K dielectric material.
115 . The method of claim 103 , wherein the ion current to the semiconductor substrate is at least about 0.5 mAmperes/cm 2 .Join the waitlist — get patent alerts
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